Introduction
Children are exposed to various scenarios where they engage in different symptoms at one point or another. The adolescence level is the most prevalent as children are exposed to different point where they have to be medicated to curb the scenarios of changes in their physical, cognitive ad social lives. Most of the children today take drugs in order to focus on their day to day activities. This has come as a result of parenting activities that drive children into engaging in activities that are not within their capacity. The conditions related to childhood medication include attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) which affects most children’s mental activity. The adolescence stage brings about much anxiety that drives children into endorsement of some drugs that help them to go through particular situations (Mayes, 2009). The use of psychotropic drugs in children has led to treatment of psychiatric conditions for children with troubles in terms of mental conditions (Mayes, 2009). This paper will analyze the condition of medicating children and the effects related in terms of child development. It also helps in analyzing the developmental concepts and theories that are associated with medicating children. This will be coupled with theories and characteristics of medicated children as well as the statistics on medication in children.
Medication in children is categorized according to the psychiatric diagnosis for children aged between 4-17 years. The Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is the most common disorder in children which portrays the characteristics of disruptions where the children are defiant or depressed (Mayes, 2009). The Centre for Disease Control indicated that about 5.4 million children in America had been diagnosed with ADHD as per 2007. This was followed by about 2.7 million parents who had indicated their children had been diagnosed with ADHD or autism (Mayes, 2009). The medication prescribed for children during this time included stimulants such as: methylphenidate, amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. These prescriptions are given to children who have been diagnosed with symptoms that are depressive and obsessive in nature. Research has indicated that about 1 child in every 88 children gets diagnosed with conditions such as autism (Mayes, 2009). This leads to an average of 55% of the children taking psychotropic drugs that help in eradicating or maintaining these conditions. Medication in children is mostly prevalent in children aged between 11-17 years while about 40% of children aged between 6-10 years have been observed to take less than one medication (Mayes, 2009).
According to research conducted by the United States Food and Drug Administration, most of the children aged 4 years were advised to be treated with stimulants as a way of fighting ADHD. Competition has become a huge factor why children are parents are exposing their children to medication (Foltz, 2008). This is brought about by the fact that children who perform highly in the society are considered a measure of status in terms of symbol for parents. Parents tend to believe that their children are on the right track as they perform better in classes (Foltz, 2008). Many parents have been misled by teachers and information from internet sources that medication on their children could lead to their children performing better in class. The use of amphetamine drugs helps people remain focused on whatever they are doing but it does not enhance the levels of thinking or reasoning (Foltz, 2008). This view of thinking has affected the development of children as they cannot focus on the simple issues without using the medication. It also affects them through addiction where children get addicted to the medication. Most of the parents who engage their children with medication end up enrolling them in therapy institutions to help them overcome the addiction and emotion related problems (Foltz, 2008).
Similarly another form of effect for medicating children is that they believe that it is a part of development where they adopt the habit even in their afterlife. Parents are normally blamed for the habits of medicating their children. Most parents engage in medicating their children even on causes that can be prevented. For instance, children have been observed to develop from conditions of ADHD by participating in sporting activities such as swimming. These instances have indicated that children are at times medicated for wrong reasons where there could have been other alternatives used (Feinberg, 2009). Incidentally, research has shown that medication in the United States has been excessively used where children are affected by terms brain damage. This hinders their development in that it limits the growth of the common senses that help the children to make their own decisions or make appropriate decisions (Feinberg, 2009).
In addition to this, research has indicated that medication in children affects their levels of appetite where they fail to eat the required foods. This affects their development as they will not grow in the proper manner. Medication on children has portrayed similar effects to use of drugs as they stimulate the nervous system and affect the mood in children (Feinberg, 2009). Children are exposed to situations such as nausea, sleepless nights and problems gastro intestines. Many children who go through medically at any stage of their development indicated side effects such as aggression, defiance and anxiety especially in adolescents (Feinberg, 2009). Medication in children brings about many challenges through the way the children’s bodies eliminate drugs. Their brains are also affected depending on the drugs they used. Medication in children affects their social development as the drugs lead to production of hormones that affect the brain (Feinberg, 2009).
Children who have been exposed to medication ever since the early stages of development tend to form a resistance in their immune system to some diseases. This leads to effects where these children cannot be treated for particular diseases as the drugs used will have no impact on them. In addition to this, medication on children brings about effects on their brain formation. Most of the children under medication have been recorded to encounter side effects such as: sleeplessness, nausea, loss of appetite, headaches, irregular heartbeats, respiratory difficulty, and depression just to mention but a few (Mayes, 2012). These effects occur due to the child’s inability to fight away the disorders as their immune system has been destroyed. They also slow down the rate at which children grow and reduce weight gain. Most of the children who have been exposed to medication are normally underweight and have small bodies due to the fact that the medicine eats away all the calories (Mayes, 2012).
Research has shown that children who are exposed to stimulant drugs stand higher chances of extracting addition to other forms of drugs such as heroine at later stages during their developmental life. The adolescent level has proved to be the most prevalent stage as children face changes in their physical, cognitive and psychological aspects (Mayes, 2009). They engage in risky behaviors where they try out different substances that will help them calm down. Parents also have their role to play in that they should be engaged in the activities that their children are involved in most of the times (Mayes, 2009). They should engage their children in discussions to find out what they are involved in and guide them in terms of the proper directions they are supposed to follow (Mayes, 2009). Parents should also ensure that they analyze the short term and long term benefits of medication before exposing their children.
The parent should guide their children to gain awareness of the medications they are taking by explaining to them the causes and effects. This should be accompanied by the concepts about the developmental concepts that occur on taking the drugs (R& Frank, 2012). Parenting skills are also relevant in describing the necessary outcomes of taking the drugs. Additionally, children should inquire and alert their parents of the situations that occur after taking the drugs (R& Frank, 2012). Statistically, it has been proven that parents expose their children to drugs with no necessary reasons. This occurs through the theory where parents give medication to their children on the basis of making them brighter or helping them focus on their class work. Parents should be contented with the way their children are and help them focus through fun activities. Similarly, this should be accompanied by the view that problems associated with emotions should be dealt with psychologically. Stimulant medications should not be used on children as they bring about negative impacts in the way children get addicted to other forms of medication (R& Frank, 2012).
The basic characteristics of medication in children include: depression, sleeplessness, anxiety, loss of appetite, nausea, just to mention but a few. Parents should recognize these symptoms and change the mode of medication on their children or even eliminate it if it is not necessary for them. They should involve them in sporting activities that help in eradicating disorders and keep them healthy (R& Frank, 2012).
References
Feinberg, Leonard (2009). The effects of maternal depression on the emotional/ brain development of children. Journal of Pastoral Counseling, 34, 68-80.
Foltz, Robert (2008). Medicating Relational Trauma in Youth. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 17 (3), 3-8.
Mayes, R., Bagwell, C., & Erkulwater, J. L. (2009). Medicating children: ADHD and pediatric mental health. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.
R & Frank (2012). Over Medicating Our Youth: The Public Awareness Guide for Add, and Psychiatric Medications. Libras Corp.
